Break the Sky
by nanadaime
Summary: AU. On the night Naruto learns he is the container for the Kyuubi, Mizuki tells him another of Konoha’s secrets.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** AU. On the night Naruto learns he is the container for the Kyuubi, Mizuki tells him another of Konoha's secrets.

**BREAK THE SKY**

_Chapter One: Boy with a Thousand Faces_

Iruka acted out of instinct: eighteen kunai, half a second and one boy with the Scroll of the Forbidden Seals strapped across his back. Naruto flew backwards, and the seven kunai buried into Iruka's flesh with enough strength to throw him against the training field's storage shed. Nothing vital was penetrated, but Mizuki hadn't been aiming for him anyway.

As he coughed out flecks of blood, Iruka didn't feel like a ninja. He felt like a fool.

"Nice job finding the moron," Mizuki smirked.

Iruka had been played from the beginning. Of course Mizuki had come to him – the only one who had bothered to get to know Naruto. He had _helped _the traitor with his friendship with the jinchuuriki. He almost wanted to laugh – at himself, at the piss-poor excuse for a shinobi he had become. He had setting a bad example for his students.

"I see," Iruka finally responded, trying to stall for time. "So that's what's going on."

"Naruto, give me the scroll!" Mizuki demanded.

The grass to Iruka's left rustled. "Wha-what's going on here? Huh?"

Naruto scooted away from the two chuunin. The confusion in his eyes showed nothing but a scared, helpless, idiotic child. Like Iruka had been … like he still was in some ways, bound by fear and selfishness. As he recognized that look on Naruto's face, Iruka vowed to change. He finally understood the Hokage's words. Iruka would do the duty of a proud ninja of the Konohagakure. He would protect his home, and most of all, his precious student.

"Naruto – whatever happens … don't give him the scroll!" Iruka gritted out as he ripped a kunai from his chest. "That's a dangerous scroll that has forbidden ninjutsu written inside of it. Mizuki used you to get his hands on it!"

Naruto's rose to his feet as his eyes darted back and forth like a nervous rabbit. His thoughts were transparent to Iruka: Mizuki had been kind to him, had wanted to let him become a ninja, unlike Iruka who had failed him without a second thought. But Mizuki had tried to kill him, while Iruka had saved his life. The boy tensed, ready to flee.

"Naruto," Mizuki purred mockingly. "There's no point in you having that scroll. I'll tell you the truth."

"No! Don't!" Iruka shouted futilely. He knew Mizuki revealing the truth was much, much worse him turning traitor.

Mizuki's smile grotesquely stretched across his face. "It all goes back to twelve years ago, when the Yondaime saved Konoha from the Kyuubi no Yoko. I'm sure even you have heard of it, Naruto. On that day, a special rule was created in Konoha."

Naruto's voice was hesitant and … curious. "What rule?"

"Oh, this rule was never meant to be told to _you_," Mizuki breathed teasingly.

Naruto's hands balled into fists. "Not to me?! What the hell is this rule? Tell me, Mizuki-sensei!"

Mizuki just laughed. He was having almost too much teasing the stupid, demon child.

"What kind of rule?" Naruto begged Mizuki to continue.

"The rule is that nobody is allowed to talk about the fact that you, Naruto, are the Kyuubi," the silver-haired shinobi confided.

Naruto's knees gave out. "What … what do you mean?" Naruto whispered.

Iruka tore out another kunai with a gasp of pain. "Stop it!"

"It's simple, Naruto. It means that you are a demon fox … the monster kitsune that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed this village. You caused the death of the Yondaime that you admire so much when he gave up his life to seal you, and …"

"Shut up!" Iruka screamed, not just for himself and the village, but also for Naruto. Naruto didn't deserve this. He acted tough, but on the inside, he was suffering. The same suffering Iruka knew very well. Naruto just wanted someone to know he was there.

"You have been lied to by _everyone_. Didn't you find it strange how everyone hates you? Even Iruka is the same. He loathes you! No one will ever love you! And if they ever did, they would be killed..."

Coldness washed over Iruka, and he began to shake in something akin to panic. A terrible chakra was beginning to bubble off of Naruto's skin. This was the first time Naruto had ever manifested proof that he held a bijuu. Surely even a fool like Mizuki _wouldn't _–

"… Just like your mother. That's right, Naruto, even a beast like you had one, though not for very long. She tried to steal you from the village while you were still a baby. She was arrested and executed, under the orders of your beloved Hokage!"

"You're LYING!" Naruto growled as he stood up. His eyes were blood red. "The Old Man told me – he told that no one knows who my family is!"

Mizuki frowned, faint traces of fear flickering in his gaze as he pulled a fuuma shuriken free from its bindings on his back. "Die then, believing whatever you want. That scroll on your back was the last work of the Yondaime Hokage. It was written to _seal you up_ … turning the village's immortal enemy … _mortal_."

Mizuki's weapon whistled as it sliced through the air. Naruto froze, unbelieving that someone was actually trying to end his life. The boy had never seen death before – never felt killing intent.

Without hesitation, Iruka's body flickered in and out of sight with a Shunshin no Jutsu and took the shuriken to his back with a grunt. The forest was silent, save for the steady drip of Iruka's blood falling onto Naruto's cheek.

Naruto's eyes were blue once again as they filled with tears. "Why?"

"He is wrong, Naruto," Iruka said, meeting Naruto's gaze head-on. "When I was growing up … no one complimented or acknowledged me either. I acted like an idiot. I just wanted whatever attention I could get since I wasn't good at anything they taught at the Academy. It was better than nothing, but it was so painful. To have no one care … to not be special to anyone."

Iruka paused as his heart wrenched with a pain worse than being stabbed, and tears openly fall from his eyes.

"Naruto … you must have also been in so much pain. I'm so sorry. If I had only done a better job, you wouldn't have to feel like this. You wouldn't have to feel like no one loved you."

Mizuki scoffed audibly.

Naruto flinched. The look in his eyes was one of distrust. The boy took off into the dark forest without looking back, the Scroll of the Forbidden Seal still strapped to his back.

"Naruto!" Iruka cried out to no avail.

Mizuki leapt off of the tree. "Fool. A demon can't have a change of heart. He's probably planning to use that scroll to get revenge on Konoha. You saw his eyes earlier … the eyes of a real demon."

Iruka removed the fuuma shuriken from his back with a sick squelching sound. "Naruto isn't like that," he panted.

"If that's what you want to believe, be my guest," Mizuki sneered, eying Iruka's injured body. "I'll finish you off you after I get that scroll."

And with that, Mizuki took to the trees.

Cursing under his breath, Iruka yanked out the remainder of the kunai from his arm and leg. Quickly, he performed three familiar seals. There was a poof of smoke, and when it settled, Uzumaki Naruto was in his place.

It didn't take long for Mizuki to find him: he'd purposely been breaking off branches and breathing heavily. Though Naruto was poor at most jutsu, the boy was fast and stealthy. Mizuki, who never bothered to watch Naruto like he had, wouldn't know of their student's skill.

Mizuki, transformed to appear as Iruka, called out to him. "Naruto! Hurry – give me the scroll! Mizuki is after you!"

Iruka used the branch he landed on to launch himself at Mizuki, burying his fist into the traitor's stomach. Mizuki was thrown heavily to the ground. "Why, Naruto?" he asked in a trembling voice, before dropping the Henge. "How did you know I wasn't Iruka?"

Iruka released his own Henge and grinned. "Because I'm Iruka."

"I see." Mizuki's lips rose into their own unbidden smile. It was almost like they were still the friends they had been for years. Iruka had always managed to surprise him. But things _had _changed.

"How ironic … you'd even transform into the thing that killed your parents to protect it," Mizuki chuckled as he walked towards the wounded chuunin.

"I won't let the scroll fall into your hands!" Iruka vowed.

"Fool! Naruto and I are cut from the same cloth. Using that scroll with let him unlock all the power he wants! There's no way the Kyuubi wouldn't use that scroll to its full extent."

"You're right," Iruka agreed. "The Kyuubi would destroy us all. But Naruto ... He may not be the hardest worker. He's clumsy and no one accepts him. But he knows the feeling of pain in your heart. That's something the Kyuubi could never feel. He's not the Nine-tails. He's Uzumaki Naruto!"

Mizuki's face twisted uncomfortably, as though deep down he knew that Iruka was right. Regardless, he grabbed another windmill shuriken. "Whatever. You're just like his bitch of a mother. I said I'd take care of you later, but I've changed my mind. Die like she did, Iruka!"

Iruka smiled sadly. So this was the end … to be killed by someone he'd thought of as a friend.

A blur of orange shot out of the bushes, knocking Mizuki back. The shuriken was kicked off course and embedded itself in a tree.

Naruto slammed the scroll on the ground beside him like a staff. An otherworldly snarl erupted from his throat as his pupils changed to slits. "Don't you _dare _touch Iruka-sensei. I'll _kill _you!"

"You idiot!" Iruka yelled. "Why did you come back? Run away!"

Mizuki staggered to his feet while laughing hysterically. "This is too rich! I can kill a failure like you in one move."

Naruto's narrowed as his hands formed a single seal. "Give me your best shot, you piece of shit! I'll return the pain a thousand times over!"

"Do it then, Kyuubi!" the silver-haired chuunin dared. "Kill me if you can."

"Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto growled.

One thousand Naruto clones stared hatefully at Mizuki. Their eyes were red as each pulled out a kunai.

Mizuki's legs gave way. "No…" Mizuki whispered in fear. "This can't be..."

Each clone was burning crimson with chakra. Iruka shook as the evil chakra rolled through the trees. It was beyond normal killing intent – it was demonic.

Iruka began to cough as his stomach tried to force bile out through his lips. _Naruto, no!_, he thought desperately, too scared to form words.

"What's wrong?" mocked one of the Naruto clones.

Another took a step forward baring its sharp, white teeth. "Weren't you going to kill me in one move, Mizuki-sensei?"

"P-please don't," Mizuki started, urine staining the front of his pants.

Naruto's thousand faces grinned. "Goodbye."

* * *

Tenzou's steps didn't falter as he raced towards the demonic chakra pouring out of the west even though every cell in his body seemed to be screaming at him to run away.

His team was comprised of battle-hardened ANBU who had seen the worst sides of humanity, but he could sense their reluctance. He'd hesitated during his own first experience with a bijuu's fury. He had been a virgin to the world of S-rank missions. It had ended with his first failure since accepting his forehead protector. The memory of facing off with Iwa's Gobi no Irukauma was not a pleasant one.

"The Yondaime's seal will hold," he reassured his team, deciding it was worth it to break their regulation of silence. "We have long known that he would awaken that chakra one day. It is our duty to protect the Leaf until he can control it."

His team didn't relax, but their panic abated slightly as expected – they were Konoha's best.

It returned full-force as they arrived near the scene. Something was screaming wordlessly over and over, sounding more like a tortured animal than a human.

A brown-haired chuunin ran out of the brush towards them. His clothes were stained with blood and vomit was streaked down his front. He gripped Tenzou's vest with trembling hands. "Naruto – he –please help him! I tried – oh _God! _– I thought it would help!"

"What happened?" Tenzou demanded, shaking the chuunin firmly. "I can't help him if you don't explain coherently."

The chuunin's dark eyes calmed down enough to answer the ANBU captain. "Naruto … he learned the Taijuu Kage Bunshin from the Forbidden Scroll. There must have been hundreds – all of them had _that _chakra. He … killed Mizuki, the traitor who tricked him ... who told him about the Kyuubi … and Kushina."

One of Tenzou's team swore.

"He wouldn't stop hitting Mizuki's body. It … you can't even tell it was a human – just blood and bits of flesh and blood. I screamed at Naruto to stop it, and I know it's still him inside, because he listened. Only, when the clones dispersed, it seemed like all of the anger went into his real body ... All of the Kyuubi's chakra and fury combined – his hands were like claws, and he turned them on himself instead of attacking me – he's killing himself!"

Tenzou nodded. It made sense that the boy's body wouldn't be able to handle that chakra until he had proper training. "A medic team is on their way. It's best if you stay here until it's safe."

The chuunin nodded slowly. Tenzou signaled to his team as they made to depart – two to support him directly, the other three to circle around and trap the boy in the center. There wasn't time to form a better plan.

They passed a tree with the splattered with must have been the remains of the traitor sensei. Blood was smeared almost twenty feet high. Left near what appeared to be part of a lung was the Scroll of the Forbidden Seal. Tenzou nodded, and Koga grabbed the scroll and retreated back to the village.

The jinchuuriki froze as they approached, nostrils flaring as he smelled the air. A single tail of chakra was swaying behind him and long gashes ran down his face and arms, though they were already emitting steam as the Kyuubi's chakra healed its host. Without warning, he rushed at Towa, who'd been approaching from the North, with high Jounin-level speed.

"Shit!" Tenzou cursed as he slammed his hands together.

A wall of wood shot out of the ground between the jinchuuriki and Towa and curled over and around to form a dome, but the boy retreated out before it could trap him.

"Naruto," Tenzou addressed the boy calmly, hoping to encourage him to suppress the chakra on his own. His Mokuton would be effective at this level even without the aid of a kesshouseki, but the Hokage had suggested would be best if Naruto himself learned to control it. "We are not going to hurt you. You have done very well protecting the scroll and your teacher. Everything is okay now. Let us help you. Breathe deep and remember yourself."

"Where is Iruka-sensei?" the boy demanded gutturally. His teeth had lengthened, and the whisker-marks on his cheeks were jet black. "What did you do with him?"

"Iruka is hurt, Naruto. He is getting help from medics. Don't worry – he is safe. It's okay to stop channeling that chakra."

"You're lying!" Naruto raged, his tail whipping around and nearly catching Komachi. "You're going to kill Iruka for protecting me! I'll kill all of you first!"

Tenzou realized that he would have to suppress the chakra himself. Naruto was far too angry to hear reason. Undoing the damage the traitor had done today would be a long, hard road.

Wood snaked out of the ground and wrapped around Naruto's struggling body. Tenzou held out his palm. "Hokage-shiki Jijun Jutsu – Kakuan Nitten Suishu!"

Ten spiked pillars erected around the entrapped boy, as Tenzou leapt forward. He pressed his palm to the boy's chest and jumped beyond the pillars. A line of chakra formed between them, and the Kyuubi's chakra began to drain from Naruto. But something didn't feel right –

The captured jinchuuriki poofed into smoke, and the supposedly empty Mokuton dome near Towa exploded into shards of wood.

"Oh shit –" was all Towa had time to gasp before his throat was ripped out in a single swipe.

Komachi broke formation, screaming in incoherent fury. She fired off senbon with a vehemence Tenzou had never seen from her before – every throw aimed for the jinchuuriki's vitals.

They never even touched him. The Kyuubi's chakra flared and blasted the needles off-course.

Tenzou flickered to Komachi's rear and knocked her out with a chop to the neck. He set her down lightly. He sympathized, but she was a liability now.

At his command, Uzuki let a handful of kunai fly – all aimed to injure, not kill. The jinchuuriki's tail lashed out and blocked the first batch, but Tenzou had thrown a second volley made of his own chakra-resistant wood in the first's shadows. They hit their mark, and Naruto hissed in pain.

So this was the real one. Tenzou judged his reserves were sufficient for another chakra suppression, but he'd had to rely on his team to disable the boy's movement's first. It was risky, but it was their only choice.

"Naruto! My God, what have you done?"

The jinchuuriki froze as his teacher's accusation.

The chuunin from before had – stupidly – returned. Tenzou didn't know what on earth he was thinking. It was hard enough for a team of ANBU to keep the situation under some semblance of control, and to disrupt that was needlessly reckless. However, since he was already there, Tenzou could take advantage of Naruto's distraction.

"That was a shinobi of Konoha, Naruto!" Iruka cried, stepping forward towards Naruto. "He was trying to help you!"

"But sensei …" Naruto rasped, tears welling in the corners of eyes that oscillated between red and blue. "I thought they would kill you, just like …"

Iruka cringed.

"This is a very different situation, Naruto," Tenzou interjected. "Trust your sensei. We are your comrades, not enemies."

Naruto's were red as he looked at Tenzou with distrust. "How do I know this isn't a dirty trick? Everyone lies to me. And now I – that guy … I killed him."

Without warning, Iruka grabbed Naruto's wrist. The Kyuubi's chakra began to burn the chuunin's flesh, but Iruka didn't let go. "Naruto," he said comfortingly. "It's okay. It's okay."

Naruto tried to shake his arm free from his sensei's iron grip. "S-sensei! Let go, I'm hurting you!"

"It's okay," Iruka soothed with a smile. "Just let that chakra go. I'm here, I'm safe – I promise you'll be safe too. The Hokage just wants to protect you."

The fight left Naruto's eyes, and the lingering Nine-tail's chakra dispersed away with the wind. Iruka's hand, still on Naruto's wrist, was blistered with second-degree burns.

Naruto turned his head away, holding his free hand to his mouth. He dry heaved against his fingers while Iruka rubbed reassuring circles on his back.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt weariness seep through him to the bone as prepared to face Naruto. This was not how he'd wanted Naruto to discover the truth of his prisoner, nor the tragic business with Kushina. Out of habit, he fumbled in his desk for his pipe.

The Sandaime was used to this weight. His life had been marked with mistakes and betrayal. Such was the way of the shinobi. Most recently, the Uchiha clan had been destroyed when he ran out of time and alternatives. The peace of the past six years had been bought with the blood of one of the village's strongest clans. Perhaps the cause of his greatest pain was letting his most coveted student walk away after discovering he had betrayed all of his teachings. Even his own son turning his back on him hadn't ached like that. His other students, each of them brilliant to the point of legend in their own way, strayed from their home without looking back. And then there was Minato – arguably the best shinobi to come out of the village during his long lifetime – sacrificing his life far too early. He had the perfect heart, mind and body for a Hokage. To lose him before his prime was almost too cruel.

The Hokage puffed at his pipe as he lit it, then exhaled harshly through his nose. He wondered what Minato would think, if he were alive today. Sarutobi didn't regret his choices despite how much pain they brought him. In his heart, he knew he was far too old to be wearing this hat and these robes.

There was a firm knock at the door.

"Enter," he intoned, setting his pipe down.

Tenzou and Iruka flanked Naruto on each side. The blond looked incredibly small. It was hard to believe he was already twelve. There was hardness in his gaze that Sarutobi had never before witnessed from him.

"Please, have a seat, my boy," Sarutobi said, gesturing to the chairs before him. "I imagine you're exhausted, but I'm sure you have quite a few questions – and words of angers – for me."

"So it's all true then," Naruto spat, not meeting the Hokage's eyes.

"What is all true?" the Hokage asked.

Naruto's eyes squinted in anger. "That I'm the Kyuubi … that you … had my mother killed."

"You are not the Kyuubi – merely its jailor," Sarutobi responded slowly. "The Fourth sealed it into you to save the village at the cost of his life. He wanted you to be seen as a hero."

Naruto gave a bark of unhappy laughter. "Am supposed to feel grateful for that? His intentions don't seem to be worth much, since everyone hates me. He ruined my life, and I wasn't even just some orphan without a future, like I'd thought. I … I had a mother, didn't I? Did I have a father too?"

The Hokage sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The truth … can be a heavy burden. I had hoped to protect you from it until you were much older."

"It's too late for that," Naruto snapped. "I deserve to know."

"Yes, I suppose you do," the Hokage conceded grimly. He clasped his hands together and leaned onto his elbow. "Your father's records are a sealed SS-class secret. I am sorry, but I will speak no further on the matter, lest I be tempted to lie to you again. In regards to your mother … her name was Uzumaki Kushina. She hailed from Whirlpool Country, a land that was destroyed ten years before your birth. She was a lot like you – almost foolishly brave and always making mischief. She was always the loudest person in a room. Kushina didn't let you forget she was there. I, like many others, was very fond of her.

"Your mother didn't realize you had been chosen as the vessel to the Kyuubi until after it was done. No one knew of the Fourth's plans. Even I am still not sure of the reason you were selected to house the bijuu. It had never successfully been sealed before, which is a testament to both your own strength and the Yondaime's genius.

"She loved you regardless of your burden, or perhaps even more because of it. She was furious, however, with the Yondaime. Since he was already dead, she made do with scrawling graffiti all over his face in the Hokage Mountain." The Sandaime paused as a small smile rose unbidden to his face. "You were strapped to her back and giggling the entire time."

Naruto's lips were parted slightly as tears streamed down his face, but he let the Hokage continue.

"However, the village was a wreck in the aftermath of the Kyuubi's attack. Minato didn't name an heir, so I was called back into office. The other nations began to eye Konoha during its weakness. People were scared to face another war, especially one without the power of the Fourth. Foolishly and irrationally, blame fell onto you. Kushina began to nurse a deep hatred for the villager's treatment of you. Many of her friends turned their back on her because you reminded them of their loss. She lashed out, violently, to those who voiced their opinions on you. In the end, she came to this office and begged me to let you leave Konoha with her. She felt this wasn't the village she'd come to love. I couldn't disagree with her.

"Unfortunately, things weren't that simple. You know now that you're not an ordinary child. To risk you falling into enemy hands would spell certain disaster. Even apart from my priorities for the village, for _your _safety, I couldn't let you leave. Kushina was many things, but she wasn't all-powerful. I tried to reason with her to give the village time to mend its wounds. She seemed to agree, but the last thing she told me was that she had her own wounds to heal.

"Unbeknownst to me, she had taken matters into her own hands. Whirlpool survivors had scattered to all of the continents, and one of her childhood friends had made quite a name for herself in Kirigakure. She agreed to meet your mother at the coast and bring you under protection of the Mizukage.

"A team of ANBU had been assigned to tail you and your mother at all times. Kushina tricked them into entering your home with a Kage Bunshin asking for help … and blew it up. In the chaos, we had thought she had killed you both as well. When we realized what had happened, a retrieval team was assembled to bring both of you back alive.

"They caught up with your mother before she ever reached the coast. She was imprisoned and stood trial after being interrogated. She was judged guilty of treason and first-degree murder. Shortly thereafter, she was executed, and you became a ward of the village."

The Hokage observed Naruto. Quite understandably, he looked lost. There was a lot of information for him to absorb. The truth was always the hardest to understand. Anger was brewing underneath the shock and hurt, b

"What … what did she look like?" Naruto asked quietly.

The Hokage nodded, and an ANBU dropped from the ceiling and left a box on the Hokage's desk before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. The Hokage stood and brought it over to Naruto. The boy opened it. It was full of pictures.

A warmly smiling woman peered out of the photo. The Sandaime had not seen Kushina's face for many years, and was once again struck by her vitality and beauty. Her sheet of long, red hair was clipped back on one side, letting her bright eyes draw the viewer in, their blue depths seeming to sparkle with a secret laughter that the serene set to her lips masked.

"I have one more thing for you, my boy," the Hokage murmured sadly.

The Sandaime held out a Konoha hitai-ite in his wrinkled hands. "Today, you are no longer a child, but a ninja of this village. May your Will of Fire guide you."

Naruto took it.

* * *

Naruto didn't want to go back into Iruka's classroom. Everything had been so strange since he'd found out the truth. He'd barely been able to sleep – every time he closed his eyes, his mother's face stared at him, ever loving, which made it hurt even more. His shoved a hand into his pocket and clutched at the hitai-ite inside. He'd worn it when his shinobi registration picture was taken, but when he looked at his finished profile, he immediately took it off. It felt stifling against his head.

But he didn't want to disappoint Iruka either. He walked through the classroom doors.

He noticed a free row in the back. He hoped he could sit down without being bothered, but Kiba called him out immediately. He was wearing a particularly loud shade of orange, after all.

"I thought failures weren't supposed to show up today, Uzumaki," the dog boy remarked as he rubbed his nose with his thumb. "You lost?"

Naruto just shrugged dully at him and sat down. He was too tired to butt heads with the Inuzuka today.

"The hell is his problem?" Kiba muttered to Akamaru. The dog on his head just barked in shared confusion.

Naruto noticed several people were staring at him: the lazy Shikamaru, the weird Hinata and that asshole Sasuke. He wondered if they knew the truth about him. He'd heard the whispers going around the village: that he'd stolen the Forbidden Scroll … that he killed someone in the training grounds … that he'd awakened '_that_' power and was tricking the Hokage. Most seemed to think he should be jailed or executed. He supposed he should be grateful that the Hokage had covered up the death of the ANBU. A lynch mob would probably show up at his apartment doorstep if that information got out to the general populace.

Naruto wasn't sure which was the worse possibility: everyone in his class hating him for being a jinchuuriki, or if they just hated him for being him.

He buried his head in his arms, tired of cold stares. He really had been an idiot, to trust in the village for so long – to accept everything that had ever been told to him at face value.

He sat back up when Iruka-sensei came into the classroom. Iruka-sensei glanced at Naruto's bare forehead with a frown for a moment before addressing the class. "Starting today, all of you are real ninja. As genin, however, the hard journey that lies ahead has just begun. The first step is forming a three-man team, each lead by a jounin-sensei. Your sensei's instruction will mold you all into successful shinobi who can proudly complete missions for the village…"

Iruka-sensei continued expounding on the glory of serving the Hokage and Will of Fire, but Naruto was just thinking of how the speech was just a prettied-up way of calling them tools. In a ninja village, tools that didn't obey were thrown away like trash – like his mother. He squeezed hitai-ite that was still in his grip until the metal started to bend.

"… And Team 7," Iruka-sensei continued, "is Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."

Despite himself, Naruto's eyes darted around looking for Sakura-chan's familiar pink hair. She was sitting next to Sasuke of all people, and looked like she was on cloud nine. Naruto thought that her blushing cheeks made her look very pretty.

She looked up and caught his stare. Her lips curled into a snarl as she glared at him, shaking a fist threateningly. It seemed like nothing had changed. It was comforting.

Unbidden, his lips twitched into his old grin as he scratched the back of his neck. For some reason, stretching his facial muscles like that hurt more than it ever had before.

When Iruka finished naming teams, he informed them that their jounin sensei would arrive after lunch. While most of the students broke off into little groups to eat around the grounds, Naruto remained in his seat. He wasn't hungry. Most of all, he was tired.

Iruka-sensei made his way over to the blond rested a hand on his shoulder. The hand was still bandaged from where the Kyuubi's chakra had touched him. He knew, without asking, that the burn would leave a permanent scar. "How are you doing, Naruto?"

"I'm fine," Naruto answered tonelessly, wishing it were true.

Iruka nodded, giving Naruto's shoulder a squeeze. "Well, I'm here. Not just now – I'll be here for as long as you need."

Naruto didn't say anything else. For that moment, Iruka let him pretend that everything was okay.

* * *

Sometimes, Hatake Kakashi hated the Sandaime. He wondered if it was somehow amusing to him that Kakashi be given a team that seemed more like ghosts than children. Perhaps it was punishment for failing all those other teams just in protest of being put on the roster for jounin sensei. It was well known that his 'teamwork' test was a sham. If the team thought of themselves, they were failed for lacking teamwork. If they managed to work together, Kakashi failed them for being too weak to retrieve a bell.

However, orders were clear this time. Team 7 was to pass. It was too much of a risk to Konoha to hold back the last Uchiha or the container of the Nine-tails. Frustration from either could spell disaster, and the council and Hokage felt that a Sharingan holder would have the best chance at keeping their powers in check. The civilian-born girl, he supposed, just got lucky ... or extremely unlucky, if one counted on the danger that being part of such a team guaranteed. It was rare for a ninja without a clan to graduate the academy at all, and rarer in the case of kunoichi. Despite her perfect written test scores, Haruno Sakura didn't impress him, but kunoichi rarely did.

The Uchiha greatly resembled other geniuses with grudges that Kakashi had worked with – and sometimes saw in the mirror. Still, underneath brooding eyes peering over his clasped hands, there was something about him that screamed potential. The boy was brimming with it. Despite the boy's blood, Kakashi didn't see Obito in this kid – he saw himself. It scared him.

Naruto … well, he didn't match his file at all. He'd expected a prankster brat who never shut up. The Third had warned him that the boy had visibly changed after learning of Kushina's defection, perhaps even more than the revelation that he held the Kyuubi. Kakashi had two strong impressions: that the Kyuubi's anger bubbled just below the boy's skin and that he didn't trust anyone. He looked painfully like the Yondaime.

On thing was certain to Kakashi: this was probably the most volatile team Konoha had assembled since the Sannin.

"Well," the silver-haired jounin finally said, "let's introduce ourselves. Just your name, likes, dislikes, dreams – stuff like that. Ladies first."

Sakura smiled brightly, pink tingeing her cheeks innocently. Her hands were clenched in fists she framed her face with, as though she were trying to appear coy. "Um, I'm Haruno Sakura! I l-like, well, that is…" she trailed off, looking 'covertly' at her dark-haired teammate, "… more like a person I like. My dream is …" Again, her eyes flickered to Sasuke. "I don't like Naruto!" she finished heatedly.

Naruto frowned at her proclamation and appeared to take a sudden interest in his sandals.

Kakashi was reminded, quite clearly, why he didn't like passing academy students. "That is _fascinating_," he deadpanned. "How about you with the dark hair?"

Sasuke was looked at Sakura with open disgust before schooling his features into a neutral glare. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike most things. I don't particularly like anything. And … I can't really call it a dream … it's more of an ambition: to resurrect my clan and to kill a certain man."

It was as Kakashi suspected. He regarded the boy wearily before turning to the last member of Team 7. Naruto was staring at Sasuke with a curious expression on his face. Kakashi knew, off the record, that the jinchuuriki had killed the traitorous teacher as well as an ANBU. Like mother, like son, Kakashi supposed. He wondered what part of Sasuke's little speech resonated with him.

"The whiskered one," Kakashi prompted. "You're up."

Naruto flinched at Kakashi's little cruelty. He didn't bother to suppress a defiant stare of dislike. "Uzumaki Naruto. I like … ramen. I don't like liars. I don't have a dream right now."

Sasuke and Sakura both sat up a little in surprise. Sakura gawked in flat-out disbelief, while Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Naruto didn't look at either of them.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Kakashi said waving airily. "Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi, your jounin sensei. My likes and dislikes are none of your business. As for dreams for the future, who knows? I have a lot of hobbies…"

All three's faces betrayed annoyance. It was kind of cute, in a way. "Now that we've got introductions out of the way, I can start talking about your shinobi duties. First, we're going to do something special with just the four of us: survival training."

"But we've already had survival training at the academy!" Sakura protested, voicing the same confusion that showed on Sasuke and Naruto's faces.

"Oh, this isn't a normal training exercise. I'll be your opponent." Kakashi let a dark chuckle slip out.

"I don't see what's so funny," said Naruto.

"It's that – well, you guys are going be kind of upset about the _truth_. Out of the 27 graduates, only 9 will actually become genin. The rest will be sent back to the academy. This training is pretty tough – at least two-thirds of the class fails. Hilarious, huh? Anyway, prepare to show me your real skills on the training ground tomorrow. Bring all the shinobi tools you have, and … I'd advise skipping breakfast. You'll probably just end up throwing it up. The details are on this leaflet – make sure you're not late!" he said cheerily as he passed out papers.

Sasuke read his with a combination of annoyance and confidence. Sakura bit her lip worriedly, but appeared determined. Naruto barely glanced over the paper before folding it up and jamming it into his pocket.

"If you have trouble reading the kanji, Naruto, I'd be happy to help you," Kakashi offered sarcastically.

Flatly, Naruto said, "No."

"Naruto, you dummy!" Sakura screeched, bonking the blond on his head. "Show our sensei some respect! Do you _want _him to fail you?"

"Hehe, you're right Sakura-chan," the boy said weakly, but his eyes told Kakashi he was lying for her sake. "Sorry sensei, I just have a headache right now. I can't wait until the test tomorrow – I'll be sure to kick your ass!"

Sakura seemed to be placated, and her body relaxed now that Naruto had acted like she expected. "You wish!" she taunted happily.

Kakashi's lips quirked. Maybe the Hokage had been right about putting the Haruno girl on Team 7 after all.

* * *

"Yo! Good morning, kids."

"You're LATE!" Sakura chastised Team 7's sensei with an accusing finger. It was ridiculous! The paper _clearly _said that the survival training began at 7 AM. That airheaded sensei was over three hours tardy.

"Oh?" Kakashi asked, looking like he didn't give a damn. The nerve of him! Were all jounin sensei this weird?

He meandered over to three stumps that were in the center of the training field. He set down a timer on the middle stump, and drew out two bells from his vest. "Alright, the alarm is set for noon. Your objective today is to take these bells from me before time's up. Those who don't have a bell by noon get tied to the stumps while I eat your lunch in front of you. As you can see by these two bells, one of you will definitely be tied to the stump. And … if you don't manage to get a bell from me, you'll fail. I'd suggest using shuriken and kunai against me. You won't stand a chance unless you come at me with the intent to kill."

Sakura gasped. "But sensei! That's dangerous! What if we accidently hurt you?"

"I'm not particularly worried that you'll hurt me, Sakura. There's a better chance that you'll hurt yourself."

Her mouth fell open, but no words of defense came to her. Her sensei was right – what could she do against a jounin? She looked down at her feet, but then felt a breeze fly past her.

Naruto, that idiot, was running towards their sensei with a kunai in his hand. Faster than Sakura's eyes could follow, the jounin phased out of sight. When he reappeared, he was behind Naruto. He'd maneuvered Naruto's own kunai to point at the back of Naruto's neck.

Sakura shivered as she realized how easy it would be for Kakashi to kill them. She was glad he was their teacher, not their enemy. Even Sasuke looked impressed with their sensei's speed.

"Take it easy, Naruto. I haven't said start yet."

Naruto scowled, but he too seemed shocked Kakashi's swiftness. "Don't talk about Sakura-chan like that!" he grumbled.

Sakura couldn't believe how dumb Naruto could be. He was going to get himself killed with his annoying crush on her. It would have been nice if Sasuke-kun had done it, though.

Kakashi looked at the orange-clad boy appraisingly. "Heh, I'm sorry for being blunt. But I'm glad one of you has prepared to come at me with killing intent. I like that in a ninja. Well, enough chitchat. Let's get started … Begin!"

Sakura quickly darted for the cover of the bushes. She noticed Naruto and Sasuke had also hidden themselves, since the clearing was empty save for Kakashi. Maybe Naruto was finally starting to learn some sense – she'd been worried he would try to fight Kakashi face-to-face.

She continued her observation of her teacher. Incredulously, she watched him pull out a copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise' and begin to read it as he stood casually in the open. She knew, through various sleepovers, that the book was porn! What kind of teacher read smut in front of their student? She felt rage build up in her … but not enough to override her fear of Kakashi's strength. It'd be best for her to wait until Sasuke-kun or Naruto made their move. Maybe Sasuke would even get a bell for her!

Kakashi snapped his book shut. Even from Sakura's vantage point, she could tell he looked angry as he took off towards the forest north of her. As stealthily as she could manage, she followed him.

She had to suppress a shout as she realized why Kakashi seemed so mad. Naruto was attacking Sasuke-kun! Granted, Naruto was losing against the Uchiha genius, but he'd given up Sasuke-kun's hiding place in the process. Of all the stupid, selfish things Naruto ever done, this was the worst!

When Kakashi let his presence be known, Sasuke-kun used the distraction to skillfully fire off a handful of shuriken at their sensei before retreating to find another hiding place. Naruto stood his ground and pulled out a kunai.

Kakashi easily dodged the shuriken. "What the hell are you playing at, Naruto? Sasuke is not your target!"

"I was hoping you'd take advantage of knowing his position and attack him. You know – getting rid of the competition."

Kakashi-sensei's one eye conveyed utter disgust for Naruto. Sakura had seen that look directed at the blond from some of the villagers and teachers before, but she hadn't expected it from Kakashi. She didn't know how Naruto could stand it – it probably was because he didn't have any parents to teach him manners, so he didn't even notice.

"Why wouldn't I just attack you?" Kakashi asked coldly. "You're by far the easier target."

Naruto grinned humorlessly. "Because I'm not even here."

Kakashi's eye widened and a shuriken flew from his hands. It sliced right through Naruto's left arm.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed hysterically.

Before Sakura's terrified eyes, Naruto poofed into smoke. It had hit Sasuke earlier, so it was a solid clone. They were never taught that type of jutsu at the academy. How the heck did someone like Naruto manage to learn that?

Kakashi clucked his tongue in disappointment from behind her. She whirled around, drawing a kunai out from her pouch. Her hand shook – the thought of trying to kill someone with the weapon in her hand was ludicrous. Somehow, it had never sunk in despite all the practice exercises. In her dreams, Sasuke always came to protect her from all enemies. She hesitated.

"You should have attacked me while I was distracted with Naruto," her teacher rebuked mildly. Pain shot through her like white fire as he buried a fist in her belly, knocking her breath from her. She had never been hit this hard in her life. Her kunai fell to the ground. "Come on Sakura, show me your taijutsu."

It was as though her body was moving without her. She saw a hand reach out desperately for a bell before Kakashi slammed his foot into her chest, knocking her against a tree.

"I'm going far too easy on you," Kakashi drawled lazily. "Is this the level of the academy's top kunoichi?"

"D-damn it!" Sakura cursed. She tasted blood in her mouth. Training at the academy had never been like this. They had learned ikebana and chadou more than how to fight. She reached for another kunai and this time attached an exploding seal to it. She flung it with all her strength towards her sensei's stupid masked face.

He caught it in between his thumb and forefinger and threw it right back. It landed in between her feet as he froze her with a wave of killing intent. In that moment, Sakura felt her life flash before her eyes as despair overtook her. Surely Kakashi-sensei wasn't allowed to kill her! It was just a test! He wouldn't _dare_ –

The exploding note detonated.

Pain a million times worse than being punched or kicked wracked through her body. Someone was screaming, high and endless. It was her voice. No one came to help.

She struggled to sit up and saw – her left leg had been blown off to the knee. This ... this couldn't be real. "KAI!" she cried, praying she was right.

The horrible pain slid away, and she began to sob in relief. She wasn't hurt at all. She was okay. There seemed to be a distant roaring in her ears, like a tidal wave was crashing over her.

"Much better," she vaguely made out Kakashi saying. The earth seemed to wobble until she fainted, welcoming the oblivion.

* * *

Kakashi crossed his arms as he surveyed the genin before him. Naruto was tied to the pole in the center while Sakura and Sasuke sat unbound on either side. The jounin's voice was light as he addressed them. "About this training… Well, there's no need for you guys to go back to the academy."

Sasuke could hear Sakura cheering. He smirked – perhaps Naruto and Sakura had done better than he thought for them to have the jounin's approval as well.

"All three of you should quit as shinobi," Kakashi finished, no longer sounding carefree.

"W-what do you mean?" Sakura asked, blinking away tears. "I mean, we didn't get the bells… but quit?"

"All of you are just brats who don't deserve to be ninja."

Fury overtook Sasuke. _He_ was just a brat? Bullshit! He launched himself towards the one-eyed shinobi with a speed that surpassed what the chuunin instructors at the academy could manage. He would prove his worth to Kakashi. He wouldn't allow himself to be held back.

Kakashi effortlessly grabbed onto his arm, twisted, then slammed Sasuke to the ground. He sat on Sasuke's back while grinding a foot into Sasuke's head. "Like I said," the jounin continued conversationally. "A brat."

"No! Don't hurt Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked.

Sasuke's embarrassment burned even stronger at the girl's words. He was too _weak_. He hated himself fiercely.

Kakashi pressed his foot down harder against Sasuke's skull. "You three have underestimated what a ninja is. Why do you think you were divided into teams of three in the first place?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto's question sounded angry.

Kakashi sighed. "Basically, you guys aren't understanding the answer to this test. Can any of you guess?"

"Why don't you just tell us?" Naruto said impatiently. "This guessing game is dumb, since it's pretty obvious we don't know." Sasuke privately agreed with the blond.

"You're right, this team _is_ full of idiots," Kakashi sneered. "The answer is teamwork. The three of your working together would have a much better chance of getting the bells."

"What?" Sakura complained. "That makes no sense – there are only two bells! No matter what, someone would fail. Of course we wouldn't work together."

"Duh," Kakashi said blankly. "The purpose of the test is to set it up so you only think of yourself – to see if you can forget about your own interests and successfully work together. You, Sakura, didn't think to ask Naruto, who would have gladly given you his bell if he had one, to help you. When you regained consciousness, you only thought of Sasuke."

Sakura went white-faced with shame.

"Sasuke! Though you proved that you're worthy of the title of top rookie, you assumed the others would get in your way and tried to do everything by yourself."

Sasuke grimaced, partially because he was still being stepped on, but mostly because he knew to the core that Kakashi was wrong. Others would just slow him down and get hurt in the process. But he wasn't above playing along with his sensei's delusions if it meant passing. He would do whatever was necessary.

"And the worst was Naruto! Even if you managed to show you have a healthy appreciation for traps and underhanded fighting, you not only didn't support your team, but you attacked a teammate without being provoked. I have never seen such a cowardly tactic used in this test, which is why you are tied to the stump and will go without lunch."

Naruto had the nerve to not look sorry at all. He'd changed lately, Sasuke noticed, and he disliked this new Naruto even more than the original. "I don't see what I did wrong," Naruto retorted.

"Individual play like that puts the whole team in danger. Maybe you don't care about my life or Sasuke's right now, but what if your little plan ended with Sakura getting killed? A team needs support from all of its members to operate best. A single weak link will break a chain."

Kakashi finally got off Sasuke and walked over to a stone slab with a melancholy slump to his shoulders. Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck irritably. The jounin had humiliated him, and Sasuke wouldn't forget it.

"Do you see the names carved on this stone? They are the names of ninja recognized throughout Konoha as heroes," Kakashi said soberly. "Not just any kind of heroes though. All of them died in the line of duty. Many of my friends' names are written here, as well as both of my genin teammates."

"So what does that have to do with teamwork?" Naruto commented idly. "Why didn't teamwork save them, _sensei_? Did you let them die?"

The air grew thick with tension. Sasuke had no idea what Naruto was trying to do by needlessly antagonizing their sensei. Knowing Naruto, he was just being a pain in the ass because he could be. If he angered the jounin into failing them all, Sasuke would make him regret it. Naruto's actions wouldn't just hurt himself this time – he'd bring Sasuke down with him.

"I suppose you're right, Naruto," Kakashi answered slowly after swallowing several times, voice strangely even. "I don't want you three to make the same mistakes I did. I'll give you guys another chance after lunch, but it'll be much tougher to get the bells. Those who still want to be a ninja can eat lunch – but don't give any to Naruto as punishment for attacking his teammate. If anyone gives him food, they will immediately fail. Got it?"

With that, Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"What the hell were you doing?" Sakura questioned Naruto in exasperation as she and Sasuke opened their bento boxes and began to eat. "You probably brought back a lot of horrible memories for Kakashi-sensei, and don't get me started on you attacking Sasuke-kun. You really are the worst, Naruto."

"Sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto mumbled, tummy gurgling with hunger. "I guess I got a little carried away."

Sakura huffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well you should be, shouldn't he, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke ignored her in favor of pointing his chopsticks at the bound boy accusingly. "You've changed."

"Maybe you just never paid attention before," Naruto retorted as he bristled with discomfort. "You've been busy with planning to murder some guy, apparently. I guess you're in the right profession."

Sasuke slammed his bento down. "If you don't shut up things that aren't your business, I'll rip out your throat."

Infuriatingly, Naruto laughed. "Oh man, I'd _love_ to see you try."

"We," Sakura blurted loudly, "should come up with a plan now to get those bells! We won't be able to do it without working together, right?"

Sasuke bit back his response – Sakura was right. There was no way he was going back to the academy. Itachi had graduated at the age of _seven_. Fighting Naruto was a waste of time. The other's skills were pitiable compared to his. "You and Naruto back me up while I attack."

"Wow, a brilliant plan from the last Uchiha – simple and stupid," Naruto commented mockingly.

Sakura elbowed him hard in the side. "Shut up, Naruto! That sounds good, Sasuke-kun!"

"How about this," Naruto suggested. "We attack him now, before he expects it."

"You seemed to have forgotten that you're all tied up, moron," Sasuke pointed out. "I'm not cutting you free."

Naruto slipped out of the ropes as though they were a baggy sweater, and flashed the two a peace sign and his trademark shit-eating grin before dispelling with a poof. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"How on earth…" Sakura wondered aloud.

Another Naruto poked his head from around the wooden pillar. "In some ways, Kakashi's right that teamwork comes in handy," the original Naruto admitted. "It's a good thing I kept this guy around just in case."

Sasuke surveyed Naruto with suspicion. "What jutsu is that? A normal Bunshin wouldn't be able to undo the rope."

"You're right." Naruto made no move to elaborate.

Sakura looked at the two of them nervously. "Come on, Naruto, we're your teammates now. You can tell us. I mean … I know you don't have a clan to teach you family techniques. Does it have to do why you graduated even though you failed the exams?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Naruto hissed at her, but at once looked ashamed at his outburst.

Sakura looked like she'd been slapped. "Jeeze! You don't have to be such a jerk. Now that I think about it, you should get back into those ropes, Naruto. Kakashi is sure to fail us if he finds out you broke the rules again."

"No." Naruto didn't meet her eyes. "I'm tried of being looked at like I'm less than shit. I want to make him feel like shit."

Sakura scoffed. "What are you talking about? Sensei hasn't done a thing to you! No one has, and yet you've been walking around with this huge complex. You're no one special, Naruto. I swear idiots like you without families think they can cause trouble whenever they want and say whatever they want. _My _parents would have punished me for months if I were as horrible as you. You're lucky to not have to deal with that –"

"Shut _up_." Sasuke was almost as surprised as Sakura that he had said it.

"W-what, Sasuke-kun?"

He glared at her in abhorrence. "Don't talk about growing up alone like you have any idea what it's like. A spoiled, useless girl like you has no right –"

Naruto moved in between Sakura and Sasuke. "Stop talking to her like that. You're the spoiled one. It's 'Sasuke-kun' this or 'Uchiha-sama' that. The village treats you like a goddamn prince, and you've done nothing to earn that acknowledgement except survive while the rest of your family died. How come _you _were the only one left alive, you bastard?"

Sasuke's hands itched with the desire to launch a fire jutsu at the blond, but he knew some things could hurt worse than ninjutsu, and he wanted to make Naruto break before roasting him. "Humph. I'm not a bastard since I actually had parents. You were probably just some whore's mistake, a burden on the people of Konoha to provide for."

"Take that _BACK_!" Naruto snarled bestially – and it _scared _Sasuke.

He took a step back, no matter what his head was saying. Naruto's eyes were blood red with slits for pupils – not like a Sharingan, but like an animal's … a monster's. Was it some sort of bloodline limit? Sasuke feared it was something far worse.

And then, a red chakra that even worse than his brother's had been on that night started to pour out of the other boy. The intent he could feel was past killing. Killing was human. It spoke of rending a body into unrecognizable pieces, annihilating everything in its path and leaving nothing but despair. Demonic, was the word that came to mind. Naruto took a step towards him, shattering Sasuke's frozen shock. "Sakura! Get out of here!" Sasuke warned, not managing to suppress the panic in his voice. "Find help – find Kakashi."

"I – I can't move," she stammered. "Help me, Sasuke-kun!"

"Damn it," he muttered, his hands flying through seals he'd practiced for years before bringing fingers to his lips. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The thing wearing Naruto's body leapt out of the way of Sasuke's massive fireball with raw grace, but it cleared Sasuke's path to the pink-haired girl. He twisted around back to face his foe. It seemed the rumors that Naruto had killed Mizuki were actually true. It was ludicrous that the dead last of the academy was hiding such power … but he couldn't deny when it stood before him. Naruto's thin frame seemed to be coiled with strength, and the orange of his clothes not a joke, but a warning.

The scarlet chakra peaked in a burst of ferocity, washing over the Uchiha like boiling water. Sasuke became aware that his eyes were stinging as though they'd been pricked with tiny brands. When the throb of pain receded, he could see everything clearly – the number of steps between them, the grains of rice scattered in the dirt from the bento boxes, the tension in Naruto's hands. He watched Naruto reach into his weapon pocket and take out a kunai. The strange chakra seemed to cling to the weapon like a viscous poison.

The moment after the kunai left Naruto's hand, Sasuke dodged, letting his body take over. There was something about that chakra that told him the kunai wouldn't just cut, but ruin.

A girl's pained scream resounded from behind. Sasuke remembered, too late, that Sakura was still hiding in back of him. Ice seeped into his veins. Once again, he was too weak to protect a single thing but his own hide.

It was with detachment that Sasuke observed Kakashi flicker to Sakura's side. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion, like everything was deep under water. A gash ran under the crying girl's left eye – despite the blood flowing out of the wound, Sasuke could see that she had been cut deep enough to reach her cheekbone. Naruto's dangerous chakra lingered around the injury, corrupting the flesh it touched. He turned to look at the other boy. Naruto's mouth opened and closed like a dying fish's – all traces of the red chakra had evaporated from his body. Naruto's mask of weakness had slipped back on, but Sasuke wasn't fooled. "Oh no … I didn't mean –" Naruto stammered.

"Quiet!" Kakashi barked as he applied a bandage taken from his pack to Sakura's face. "I need to bring her to the hospital. _Never _have I seen such selfish, unworthy and spineless behavior. Both of you are lower than trash." Kakashi gave Sasuke and Naruto one last incensed glare. "The two of you … just leave. Team 7 fails."

All of this was seared into Sasuke's memory – every last detail.

* * *

**A/N:** Feedback of any kind is much appreciated. Thanks for reading chapter one! [Edited for spelling and grammar errors 12/9/09. Please let me know if you catch any that I missed!]


	2. Chapter 2

**BREAK THE SKY**

_Chapter Two: Crack in the Shell_

Kakashi's slouched stance conveyed nonchalance, but even he was intimidated by the audience seated at the U-shaped table before him. From their high-back mahogany chairs, the Sandaime regarded him impassively, but Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who sat on either side of the Hokage, didn't bother to mask their displeasure. He had been called before the three of them to the council chamber twice before – neither were experiences he wished to relive.

"You have disobeyed a direct order," the Sandaime began. "I'm not interested in excuses. This morning, Haruno Sakura's parents lodged a request that you be removed indefinitely from the jounin sensei roster and face legal consequences for negligence. Their daughter's face will be permanently scarred – a cruel souvenir for one who wasn't even an official shinobi of Konoha at the time of injury. They are civilians, but the Yamanaka clan has agreed to sponsor their complaint, which in turn implies support from the Nara and Akimichi clans as well."

"The complaint also entails Uzumaki Naruto being banned from joining a genin team," Mitokado rumbled deeply as he adjusted his glasses. "I was against him being trained like a typical shinobi in the first place, but his tenuous mental state has further deteriorated due to your foolishness, Hatake. Our control over the jinchuuriki is one of the top priorities for Konoha at the moment, and you have jeopardized the safety of the entire village."

Utatane snapped open a fan and wafted air slowly across her wrinkled face. Her movements were still as elegant and controlled as when she'd wielded a katana on the battlefield. Though the pair of councilors had not been on active duty for decades, Kakashi knew their prowess was anything but deteriorated. Along with the Third, they had been the pride of the Niidame. "As I understand it, Uchiha Sasuke awakened his Sharingan during the confrontation, which is possibly the only positive to this mess – two tomoe … impressive for one so young. I admit that I'm baffled by your course of action, Kakashi-kun. Surely you didn't believe we would let this slide. I, for one, am very interested in what prompted you to let the situation escalate as it did."

Kakashi's back straightened, and he met the gaze of the three most influential entities of Konoha head on. "With all due respect, keeping Uzumaki and Uchiha on the same team would have resulted in greater damage towards Konoha. My test proved that even Haruno's presence wasn't enough to neutralize their clashing personalities."

"That was not for you to decide," snipped Utatane. "You should have prevented the altercation from ever occurring. You should have given them time get to know one another instead of assuming they were incompatible. Did it not strike you that teamwork has to be built over time? You have never truly commanded a squad of genin, Kakashi-kun, so perhaps your mistake is understandable. No team is ever perfect. Yours certainly wasn't."

Kakashi's visible eye darkened at the reminder.

"I understand that you were trying to keep past tragedies from repeating, Kakashi – an admirable endeavor – but you failed to grasp the most important aspect of teamwork," the Hokage chided. "Bonds are not forged during a single exercise. Trust, the foundation of any team, comes only after shared hardships and time. As a teacher, your responsibility doesn't end at imparting knowledge of the shinobi arts. It is to tend to their emotions and strengthen their ties to one another. At this point in time, however, speculation is pointless. What remains is the course of action we must take to remedy the situation. I have agreed to fulfill the request made by Sakura's parents in return for discretion concerning the incident. You will no longer be eligible as a jounin sensei, and will pay the Haruno family a sum of 150,000 ryou. Team 7 has been disbanded, leaving three not-quite genin without a sensei."

"Three?" Kakashi questioned in spite of himself.

The Hokage's lips twitched into a small smile. "I was told by Haruno Sakura herself that she was adamant about remaining a shinobi. A very promising young kunoichi, if I say so myself."

Kakashi had been sure that Sakura would be scared off of the path of the ninja given the nature of her injury. Kakashi's own impression had been that despite a spark of bravery, she was both vain and vapid. He realized that he had thought the same of Rin at one point, before tearing the memory from the forefront of his mind.

"She will not be your concern, however. Members of the Cryptology Squad and Medical Department have both expressed interests in taking her under their wing. I believe she would flourish in either with a mind like hers coupled with her superb chakra control." The crinkles at the corner of the Hokage's eyes conveyed how much he cared and knew about every ninja in his village regardless of their rank or skill. It still astounded Kakashi at times.

"We have agreed to give you a chance to redeem yourself, Kakashi," Mitokado admitted grudgingly. "Naruto and Sasuke will each be apprenticed to an elite jounin. It's a pity that this will mean we won't be able to showcase their talents in public chuunin exams, but this will allow for them to grow quickly under increased supervision. It is your choice which one you will help mold into a shinobi: your sensei's son or the last Uchiha."

Kakashi didn't need to take any time to consider. "Sasuke. There is no one better suited to teaching him how to use his Sharingan."

The councilors looked pleased with his choice. The Sandaime nodded, but Kakashi sensed his disappointment by the set of his jaw. "Very well," the Third intoned. "Hatake Kakashi, you are hereby reinstated into ANBU, in the Hunter-nin Division. You are ordered to take on Uchiha Sasuke as your sole apprentice. You _will_ ensure his loyalty to Konoha is absolute. It's pity that he won't be able to experience working with a team of his peers until he reaches chuunin, but such will be his path. Failure to mold him into an outstanding Leaf-nin … will not end pleasantly."

Kakashi suppressed a shiver at the spike of killer intent that emanated from the Hokage.

"Reports of his progress are to be submitted daily for the time being," Utatane added. "We are expecting to see him thrive under your tutelage – and not just in jutsu."

The masked jounin bowed his head in acquiescence. "If I may ask, who is to mentor Naruto?" he asked, face still inclined towards the ground.

"There are several candidates," Mitokado replied vaguely, "but the jinchuuriki is no longer your concern. While it is not an official order, you are advised to avoid both him and Haruno Sakura."

Kakashi felt a lump rise in his throat. He swallowed. "I see."

"Naruto is not his mother anymore than he is his father," the Hokage murmured unexpectedly. "He is just a boy who grew up alone and unwanted. It would serve you well to remember that, Kakashi."

Kakashi didn't respond to the Hokage's suggestion. "I'll take my leave," he uttered lowly. His seemingly leisured steps led him on the familiar path to the Memorial Stone.

* * *

An ugly, marred face peered back at Haruno Sakura from the mirror in her hands. A scar ran from under her left eye to the edge of her cheek. The healers at the hospital had done the best job they could at healing her face, but they had been forced to cut out all the tissue that had been contaminated with Naruto's chakra – making the wound even larger – before sewing her stitches. They said that any remnants would cause her flesh rot because of Naruto's kekkei genkai. Sakura had been shocked to learn from the Hokage that the dead last of the academy was the recipient of such a power. None of the teachers had acted like he was anything special like they did with Sasuke-kun or even Hinata.

The Sandaime hadn't told Sakura to forgive Naruto for harming her, but instead let her know that Naruto's bloodline limit made it very difficult for him to control himself and his special chakra when he was emotionally agitated. He had just learned of his ability recently, and didn't have any family or friends to help him through the ordeal. The Third seemed very sad when he talked about Naruto.

That didn't change the fact that Naruto terrified her. She wouldn't complain if she never saw him again. She didn't exactly blame him – Naruto was stupid, annoying, immature and totally uncool, but she knew he would never hurt her on purpose. It was difficult connect that horrible creature that attacked her and Sasuke with the boy who'd been chasing after her heart for years. She felt as though that innocent idiot had died and was replaced by a dangerous, angry stranger. She agreed with her parents that Naruto not be allowed to see her in the hospital, despite him bothering the nurses to let him in to apologize. He had asked them to bring her a note. She'd thrown it away without opening it. She already had enough nightmares to last a lifetime.

Sakura had woken up over and over the previous night by the sound of her own screams. Dreams of watching villages burn and people being ripped apart and eaten, of the smell of burning and fresh blood, of the sound of hopeless cries and pleas for help. The medic-nin said the night terrors would lessen with time. They had said she was a very brave, very clever girl.

It felt like they were lying to her face. If she had only been more courageous and smarter, then this would have never happened. She would have been able to leave and find Kakashi when Sasuke had asked her to. She would have been able to calm the boys down instead of causing the situation to escalate. She wasn't worthy of being on a team with Sasuke as she was now. Last night, he had made a promise to herself – she would grow stronger. She would become someone who wouldn't let fear win out.

There was a hesitant knock on her room's door. Sakura tucked her hand-held mirror under the sheets of the hospital bed and pulled her hair over her left eye so it cover her scar before calling, "Come in!"

A girl with long blonde hair drawn up into a ponytail hesitantly opened the door, but it was with confidence that she approached Sakura, an elegantly arrangement of morning glories and ferns in her hands. "Where should I put these, forehead?" she demanded. "Also, I'm opening your curtains. Moping in the dark doesn't suit you."

"Ino-pig? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, half-annoyed, half-grateful. She and Ino were rivals now – but some small part of her missed them being friends. None of her other classmates had tried to see her except Naruto.

Ino placed the flowers on the small desk beside Sakura's bed, fussing slightly with the placement of a branch. "I heard from your parents that you'd been hurt. It makes sense that a lame kunoichi like you would get yourself landed in the hospital during your genin test. Your mom said that … Naruto did that to you."

Sakura stiffened. "Yeah, it was an accident, not that it's any of your business."

"An accident that can't be healed with medical-chakra?" the blonde pressed. "I'm not stupid, forehead. What did that idiot do to you?"

"I can't talk about it," Sakura huffed, sticking out a tongue. "And even if I could, I wouldn't tell a piggy like you. My parents weren't supposed to even tell you, so don't go spreading it around, or there'll be trouble."

Ino pulled a chair up to Sakura's bed. "I'm not stupid – my parents already told me that this all has to be hushed up. Stupid, if you ask me. This test wasn't supposed to be dangerous – ours wasn't. It's not fair for you … not that I care or anything."

"So your team passed?" Sakura changed the subject, mouth quirking into a reluctant smile. "How do you like being with a lazy-ass and a fat-ass? Guess they make a good combination with a loud-ass."

"You know it!" Ino shot back. "It's not as great as it'd be if I'd been put on Sasuke-kun's team, but all three of them – if you include Asuma-sensei – listen to whatever I say. I can't blame then for being awed by my beauty and awesome skills."

"In your dreams," Sakura muttered, "and their worst nightmares."

"So are you being sent back to the academy now or what?" Ino asked bluntly. "You're not going to give up on being a ninja, right? Because I'll be sure to be the one to get Sasuke if you quit."

"No way! In fact, I've been accepted as a trainee in the Cryptology Squad. It's supposed be very difficult to get into – probably someone as dumb as you wouldn't have a chance," Sakura bragged good-naturedly. "Sasuke-kun is sure to be impressed by that."

"Not everyone can have a brain so gigantic it deforms their forehead," Ino teased, her pale blue eyes sparkling with relief. "It's a miracle you can walk with that thing weighing you down. I'm glad though. It'd be boring if my rival wasn't a ninja too."

Sakura smiled, feeling better than she had since she'd been in the hospital. "You won't have to worry about leaving me behind – you'll be the one eating my dust."

"Well my team's meeting up for barbeque," Ino announced, smiling as well. "I guess I'll see you around, forehead."

Ino stood up, but before leaving, paused to look at Sakura with an unreadable expression. The pink-haired girl immediately felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her. Ino reached out to tuck the hair that covered the side of Sakura's face behind her ear.

"You shouldn't hide your face," her rival spoke softly.

After Ino left, Sakura pulled out the mirror from under the sheets and stared at her reflection. She lightly ran a finger along her scar, wincing a little at its sensitivity. The girl staring back at her looked like someone who could be strong. With a final glance, she placed the mirror face down next to the bouquet of morning glories.

* * *

In Naruto's opinion, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was second only to the Henge in terms of usefulness. Combined, they were invaluable.

He'd made a discovery in the days after Team 7's failure, one that arose from the fact that he didn't feel like leaving the comfort of his apartment. Pictures of his mother were carefully taped all over his bedroom walls, and he didn't want to be away from her gaze. He'd instead created shadow clones to get food or answer the door when Iruka-sensei came calling. When they dispelled, he was left with the memories of the grocer's glare, of the warmth of Iruka-sensei's hand on his head. Shadow clones were much, much more than illusions – they were physical and mental extensions. It felt as though he had grown physically a thousand-fold, extending his senses far beyond what he could have imagined previously. It didn't take long for Naruto to exploit that benefit.

He'd never exactly been banned from the Konoha's Shinobi Library, but he wasn't particularly welcome either. The librarians and their assistants always hovered over his shoulder as though he were planning to cause trouble (which, generally, he was). Never before had he been burning with the need for knowledge as he was currently. Where was Whirlpool Country? What was it like? Why was it destroyed? He'd scanned his dusty textbooks from the academy, but the small country wasn't even mentioned. He didn't even entertain the idea of asking the Old Man. Being in the same room as him was like blowing on the coals of his anger.

And so, with the aid of his two favorite jutsu, he'd decided to see what information genin-level clearance could yield. Perhaps a single genin snooping around the library would seem suspicious – but what about a team of three? He couldn't exactly put his reasoning into words, but he didn't want Konoha knowing every single thing he did. It was really none of their business. It'd done enough to his mother already.

"Our sensei wanted to test our research skills," a Naruto clone, disguised as Ino, said matter-of-factly to the librarian at the front desk. "Can you tell us where you have books on the history of some of the smaller countries?"

At her sides, 'Chouji' and 'Shikamaru' looked around the library furtively with lazy eyes. The library had four visible stories, all linked by stairs that would around the circular building. He knew that each level was for the various ranks: academy students, genin, chuunin and jounin. It was rumored that there were other rooms hidden by complex genjutsu. It made sense considering how much taller the library appeared from the outside. He'd never had much interest in the library prior to now, but now wondered how many truths might be hidden in its walls – how many lies it had the potential to shatter.

The librarian told Naruto the number of the aisle pertaining to history books without batting an eye. He had been wondering how his Henge would hold up against chuunin-level scrutiny (or carelessness), but as previous tests had shown, it was near impossible to see through by people who didn't know the object of his disguises well. At the academy, it was stressed that the Henge shouldn't be use for extended periods of times since it drained chakra heavily, but Naruto never noticed, even when holding a Henge up for a whole day. He wondered if it was because of the Kyuubi. Viciously, he thought that it was fair he got _something _out of it.

Naruto's clones each grabbed a book that had promise. Each member of 'Team 10' pulled out a notebook and pen to take notes to review later for two reasons. Firstly, to keep the illusion realistic, and secondly so he could review any kanji he didn't know, as reading wasn't exactly his forte. Naruto began to scan his book.

"_Geological evidence showed that Mt. Kajoumon erupted on many occasions over a span of hundreds of thousands of years prior to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpool, cyclically collapsing the island into an ocean-filled caldera. […] The appearance of the Kyuubi no Yoko at the shores of Whirlpool Country is still met with skepticism, with critics arguing the magnitude 7.0 earthquake four months prior to the eruption accounts for the superstitious rumors circulating among Uzu survivors. _

_[…] The rapid increase in sulfur dioxide emission followed by a swell in seismic activity preceded the mass evacuation. A series of smaller eruptions heralded the climatic eruption on the 7__th__ of July. […] The volcano's plume extended to the stratosphere, an estimated 20 miles high. The pyroclastic flows traveled over a 2-mile radius. Magma underlying the volcano came into contact with the shore of the East Sea, resulting in widespread steam eruption. […] The over 300-foot tsunami devastated the eastern coast of Fire Country, the southern coast of Lighting Country and the archipelago of Water Country's western islands. […] The ash clouds covered an estimated 40,000 square miles in darkness, with ashfall reaching as far as Earth Country's northern mountain ranges._

_[…] Over 800 confirmed deaths in the aftermath of the tragedy with many more attributed due to disease spread by lack of sanitation in relocation camps and hunger after arable land was rendered infertile."_

Naruto vaguely remembered the "Day of Darkness" being taught in his academy history lesson, but never had the origin of the volcano been explored, save for locating it on an island in between Water, Fire and Lightning Countries. He wasn't quite sure, but from what he recalled, the lecture covered the effects the volcano had wrought upon the elemental countries, centered, of course, on Fire Country. Naruto, who had never seen anything like a natural disaster, couldn't even visualize what the destruction of Whirlpool would have been like. That there was speculation that the Nine-tails was linked with triggering the eruption made his stomach feel like the bottom had dropped out from under it, whether or not it was true.

The demon sealed in his body had already caused the death of countless unknown leaf villagers, as well as the Yondaime and Iruka-sensei's parents. Was it possible that it had also destroyed his mother's home country? In some ways, he wished he could ask him. He wanted to know – wanted to ask questions … those questions he'd never bothered to ask for his whole life. Not once could he remember asking the Sandaime about his family. Not once had he asked why everyone hated him. He'd been contented to just accept it as the way things were, and look where it had landed him – alone and miserable. He had been spitting on his mother's memory by not even bothering to find out about her.

Across from her at the library table, 'Shikamaru' cleared his throat, getting 'Ino's' – the lead clone – attention. Both he and the other Bunshin had finished with their books. One had been reading on Whirlpool's history and culture, while the other had looked through an old atlas to determine the exact location of the former country.

"Finally we got this bore fest out of the way," 'Shikamaru' groaned out, but his eyes didn't manage to suppress their excitement. "I've got everything written down, so let's get out of here."

'Ino' sighed. "At least it's better than running laps. I swear I'll beat sensei up if I break another nail. Anyway, hand me all the notes. You dorks will just lose them. Come on, Chouji, we're done here."

The rotund genin nodded amicably, and the trio left the library. They didn't notice the grim-faced chuunin watching them from the second floor.

* * *

Iruka shifted uncomfortably in his seat before the Sandaime. He and a cat-masked ANBU had been summoned to discuss Naruto's future in Konoha. He recognized the shinobi as the one who had been sent to retrieve Naruto during the incident with Mizuki. He wasn't used to working around the Hokage's elite force, and frankly, he was intimidated by a shinobi who seemed to be able to somehow suppress the Kyuubi's power.

"You may unmask," the Third told the ANBU.

A plain, inexpressive visage was revealed as the ANBU removed the porcelain mask from his face. The ninja had heavily lidded, dark brown eyes, a strong brow and a square jaw. His hitai-ite was strange in that it was set on a protective metal base that outlined the sides of his face instead of the standard cloth wrapping. Iruka's impression was that he was more dangerous than he let on.

"You will henceforth go by codename Yamato for the duration of this extended mission. Together with Iruka, you will be responsible for training and monitoring Uzumaki Naruto. There is no one better suited to helping Naruto control the bijuu's chakra than you. Though I'm reluctant to pull you from your normal duties, there are no others except Kakashi who could keep the Kyuubi's chakra in check. Iruka, you are on indefinite leave from your duties at the academy. You have been selected because you are the only one who retains a semblance of trust with the child, in addition, of course, to your natural teaching disposition."

"As you command, Hokage-sama," Yamato replied stoically.

Iruka was surprised at the Hokage's decision, but swallowed it down. Normally, training of ninja past genin was limited to jounin and above, but he understood that thrusting Naruto into the arms of a strange shinobi might make things even worse. Instead, Iruka asked, "What, exactly, is Naruto to be taught? I'm assuming this will be different compared with how genin are normally trained, as he lacks a team of his peers."

"You are correct," the Sandaime nodded. "Yamato will focus on helping Naruto as a jinchuuriki – the lessons can be selected at your discretion save for chakra control and meditation. I would like Iruka to try and supplement Naruto's basic skills and accompany him on D-rank missions … also to lend an ear to any troubles Naruto might be experiencing."

Terseness caused Iruka to frown. "My mission is to be Naruto's friend? I would do that regardless, Hokage-sama," the chuunin said with a touch of frost in his voice.

The lines around the Hokage's face crinkled as smiled knowingly. "Of that I have no doubt. But it is what Naruto needs more than anything else right now. It is a pity that he never made a real friend among his classmates. I had hoped that the prejudices of the old wouldn't spread to the young."

"Well, they did," Iruka said, red rising in his cheeks – ashamed of himself as much as anyone else. "He's never had anyone make an effort to get to know him, and all of his own attempts end badly. In the past I spoke with you extensively about letting Uchiha Sasuke live alone after the massacre. Despite the fact that neither wanted to live in the orphanage, someone should have taken them in –"

"You're being a bit too bold, Iruka," the Third interrupted. "In the case of Sasuke, he requested, as clan heir, to live alone. Only in extreme situations do I override clan law. As for Naruto's situation … no one wanted to take him in. You certainly never volunteered."

Iruka's flush spread across the rest of his face – he couldn't fault the Hokage's word. "My apologies, Hokage-sama. I took my own frustrations and worries out on you. I just don't know what to do now, and can only think of what should have been done in the past. Naruto is … very unhappy. He's barely been sleeping or eating, and I'm afraid he wants to let himself fall into dreams of the past instead of taking his place amongst the living."

"It is nothing that time cannot heal," Yamato, who had been observing quietly, spoke up. "Naruto needs a purpose, or at the very least, a nudge into the right direction. Many shinobi have a difficult past, and most manage to overcome them. I believe Naruto can as well. I'm under the impression that his will is strong."

"It is," Iruka acknowledged, impressed with the ANBU. "You're right – worrying won't help anything. We just need to do our best to help him."

The Sandaime pulled his hat down over his eyes. "I'm glad we're all on the same page. Naruto needs to know this is his home."

Iruka nodded. He would do anything to lend a hand to Naruto.

* * *

The fact that he enjoyed teaching Naruto came as something as a surprise to Tenzou. The boy's academy records told of an inattentive student, one whose level of intelligence bordered on mental retardation. Tenzou had seriously worried that being the container for the Kyuubi had caused some sort of brain damage, which, while not common, was not unheard of in jinchuuriki. Even Iruka had labeled Naruto as 'difficult' and 'a slow learner'.

In some ways, it was a correct assessment. Naruto's taijutsu was embarrassingly sloppy. His genjutsu skills were non-existent. As far as ninjutsu, his only techniques were the Henge, Kawarimi and Kage Bunshin. The speed with which he formed seals was pathetic, and his memory was so poor that it seemed he was unable to complete sequences longer than three.

Naruto learned through experience, not demonstration. Simple oral or written explanation of techniques flew over the boy's head, but once Tenzou informed Naruto why each step of a technique was needed and what the purpose of an exercise was, the boy learned quickly through trial and error. Naruto's suggestion of using a handful of Kage Bunshin to speed up learning accelerated his growth enormously, even with the downtime that maintaining clones caused. But perhaps the boy's greatest asset was his will to never give up. Tenzou had watched, for the past week, Naruto fail to master the tree climbing exercise.

It wasn't a matter of not understanding the concept of controlling his chakra. Naruto had two problems: he had much more human chakra than any genin Tenzou had ever come across, and his chakra levels constantly fluctuated due to the bijuu. As soon as he got a grasp at controlling a certain amount of energy, a sudden increase of capacity would make him start all over again. Puberty was marked the onset of the greatest growth of chakra reserves, but it took other teenagers months, if not years, to expand their chakra coils at the rate Naruto's had grown since Tenzou began teaching him. Tenzou privately suspected that Naruto's state of mind contributed to the unprecedented levels of chakra as much as the Kyuubi. Without proper training, to channel the beast twice with such a short interval in between was bound to screw with the boy's already tumultuous chakra paths.

Kage Bunshin greatly aided in burning off excess chakra, but even they had their limits, as they would exhaust Naruto once dispelled. Also, if Naruto only were able to effectively use chakra when using clones, his real body would be that much weaker. When he told Naruto that in all honestly it would be impossible for him to gain true control over his own chakra until he was fully-grown, especially if he continued to use the fox's chakra, the boy had take the news as a challenge. He would just need to practice every day, as many times as needed to account for every fluctuation. He would force his body to use less and less chakra until it had the pattern of decreasing memorized.

It was certainly an admirable pursuit, and it had already shown some progress. But Naruto's greatest improvement had been in basic taijutsu. Tenzou let Naruto retain his own flashy, unpredictable brand of taijutsu, but worked to improve Naruto's form, flexibility and speed. With Iruka's help, the two of them developed various kata for Naruto to run through daily, which constantly needed to be upgraded to account for Naruto's boundless stamina.

Underneath the jinchuuriki's needless movements and reckless style was a keen eye for strategy. For example, Naruto's use of Henge was highly unconventional. His clones appeared as weapon or objects of natures as often as in human form, which made for interesting and unpredictable combat. Though Naruto didn't possess above average intelligence, his fighting instinct bordered on genius. He knew how to adapt, a skill, or perhaps instinct, that was next to impossible to teach.

Mentally, however, Naruto hadn't made much progress. Meditation exercises just prompted Naruto to retreat further and further into himself. He loathed his D-ranked missions with Iruka, and didn't bother to hide it. His popularity in the village had plummeted even deeper since the rumors about his genin test spread. The clients of Naruto's missions regarded him with barely-suppressed hatred and fear, so the boy returned their stares with his own anger, often purposely failing missions when Iruka was distracted: painting fences orange instead of white, pulling crops out instead of weeds, dropping grocery bags full of eggs, turning a load of white laundry pink with a stray sock. His pranks were devoid of humor, and his apologies were insincere.

Tenzou had been asked to start accompanying them after the incident with the cat of the Daimyo's wife. Iruka nearly had a heart attack when Naruto returned the corpse of Tora the cat to Madame Shimiji, its neck cleanly snapped. Tenzou had requested the post of monitoring Naruto that night. Naruto showered long past when hot water had run out, and dry heaved repeatedly. He did not cry.

It was a situation that Iruka was frantic over. Tenzou had known shinobi far more heartless and emotionally disturbed, so he believed it would still take more time. Perhaps he could speak to the Hokage about doing a joint mission with one of the other rookie teams. Positive interactions devoid of pity might be a nudge in the right direction. His job wasn't to raise Naruto into who he had been before anyway – it was to raise him into a shinobi. And now, perhaps Naruto had more of a chance to become closer to the ideal of a ninja than ever before.

* * *

Kakashi stood before the Memorial Stone, late for his meeting with Sasuke – about an hour so far. The genin had taken to starting his own training without Kakashi's supervision once his teacher's habits became apparent as a personality trait rather than a test of patience. Sasuke learned fast, with or without his Sharingan activated. He was clever, determined and physically gifted. Once the genin mastered the tree climbing exercise by observing the flow of Kakashi's chakra, he'd breezed through water walking almost instinctively. He was incredibly capable with advanced fire manipulation, despite the revelation that lightning was his actual affinity.

The Uchiha had always been a top-tier clan, but the boy seemed to be born to be the ultimate shinobi with his lithe, flexible muscles, dexterity and battle sense. Some of that could be achieved through the conditioning of his body after years of dedicated training, but the majority was a gift from his genes. Though he was far from a genius of Itachi's caliber, his stamina and passion surpassed what Kakashi could recall of the clan traitor, even if all of his other stats were years behind. Kakashi believed that with Sasuke's determination, that gap could be closed.

There was, however, another aspect of Sasuke that came as a surprise to Kakashi. Though he tried to mask it with nonchalance, it was clear to Kakashi that Sasuke was intensely interested in Uzumaki Naruto. In the mornings before their training, Kakashi studiously tailed Sasuke, who seemed to be walking aimlessly towards the general direction of Naruto's apartment. Anger, fear and curiosity were plain to see in Sasuke's jet-black eyes.

Apparently, the Hokage had arranged it so that Sasuke and Naruto rarely, if ever, had a chance run into each other. Kakashi agreed – they were volatile alone, but together ... calamitous. In some cases, a 'boom' would yield enormous benefit, but in this case, separation was the best solution. Two angry kids who had been fucked over by the system would feed off of and into each other.

When he sensed Naruto's approaching chakra signature, Kakashi knew this was the time to leave. He'd been all but forbidden from interacting with the jinchuuriki, but he waited. He could tell by the slightly diminished chakra signature that it wasn't the real Naruto anyway, though he doubted the council would accept that as a viable excuse.

The sight of the boy's blond mess of hair and ridiculous jumpsuit assaulted Kakashi's visible eye. And yet, he craved it, the way he craved nightmares that left him shuddering, just to see that face again. Naruto had, however, Kushina's eyes.

"Hey, it's my former sensei," Naruto announced dryly as he stood at the others side. "Should have figured out you liked this place from the test."

"Can't imagine why you would like it though," the one-eyed shinobi shrugged lazily. "What brings you here, Naruto?"

Naruto glanced at his former-teacher from the side, as though evaluating him. "You're right ... seems to me like its a rock full of the names of dead fools. I was looking for Sasuke – to apologize, you know."

Under his mask, Kakashi smiled grimly. They were like moths drawn to flame, if moths were covered in gasoline. "There is no greater honor than to die protecting your comrades ... or so some shinobi believe," he remarked lightly. "In any case, I haven't seen Sasuke, nor do I think an apology will change Sakura's heart."

In a way, he spoke truth. Sasuke was waiting at training ground 19, as he had been since seven, but Kakashi hadn't actually seen him since yesterday. And from what he could make out from Sakura's hospital evaluation, she was scared shitless of her former teammate.

Naruto scowled. "You don't know that until I try," he muttered, but there was no conviction in his voice. The boy scuffed his sandals in the ground distractedly.

To Kakashi, it was plain to see that Naruto was just as interested in him as he was in Sasuke. The members of the former Team 7 were drawn to one another. The feeling of being something like respected by Naruto was like lead in this gut – weighing him down and poisoning him with an ironic guilt. Naruto wanted Kakashi to like him, to approve of him, even if Naruto himself didn't realize it.

And maybe, in his own twisted way, Kakashi wanted to like and approve of Naruto.

"I had a famous jounin sensei," Kakashi found himself saying, turning his body slightly towards the distant Hokage Mountain. "One of the strongest and most brilliant ninja to come out of this village. I idolized him more than even my own father. He later went on to be the Yondaime Hokage."

Naruto flinched, shoulders hunched, and stepped back from the jounin.

"My team, funnily enough, was a lot like yours: a genius, a dead last and a naive girl," Kakashi continued, voice devoid of any humor.

A finger traced over two names that were quite far apart on the stone. "Uchiha Obito: shame of the Uchiha clan. Saotome Rin: a book-smart daughter of civilians. I made jounin during the third shinobi war. I was 13. My first mission was to lead my two teammates while our sensei operated on a solo mission. Due to my lack of teamwork, the 'dead last' sacrificed his life, saving Rin and I. He asked me to take care of her.

"I failed him, obviously. When I first met her, she acted towards me a great like Sakura acts towards Sasuke. She grew up in time though, into a very capable and talented kunoichi. I never loved her back the way she wanted me to ... but she was one of my closest friends, and the only one I had left after the Fourth died to seal the Kyuubi. Rin was 16 when she was inducted into the ANBU corps. She specifically requested her first assignment to be protecting you and your mother, who she greatly admired and respected. Your mother, naturally, didn't know that a close friend was a member of her guard team."

Naruto had gone bone white, and his fists were clenched tightly. "I -" he began hesitantly, but Kakashi was swift to cut him off.

"There was no body to bury, of course – nothing but a broken, blackened mask. It's pretty amazing how durable those things can be." Kakashi scratched his head absently, voice still as calm as it was when he started talking. He brushed his hands on his pants, as though wiping off dust. "Well, I guess I'd best be off. See you around, Naruto."

Kakashi didn't turn around as he strolled away from the stone. The look on Naruto's face would hurt a bit too much even for his own tastes.

* * *

Naruto was determined to make contact with the Kyuubi. Yamato-sensei seemed to believe that it would be possible if he looked deep enough into himself, he would be able to communicate with the bijuu. The Mokuton-wielding shinobi flat-out told Naruto that jinchuuriki who could work together with their beast were almost unbeatable. Despite the fact that the Kyuubi was said to be a manifestation of pure hatred and was under no circumstances to be trusted, Naruto was the one to hold the keys to its cage. The seal of the Fourth was the strongest in recorded history. Never had there been a chance to test what the Kyuubi's powers in human hands could create or destroy. Naruto intended to exploit his opportunity, and become great – so great that he could obtain everything he'd ever been denied.

He jerked out of his meditation exercise with a gasp as the clone he'd sent to look for Sasuke dispelled. Kakashi's words burned him, almost as badly as the Hokage's had.

It seemed that things were not simple, but when had they ever been? He had always known the world was cruel to him, but to realize that he wasn't the only one… Perhaps Sasuke had been feeling as much pain as he had. Maybe Sakura, maybe all of the smiling families and friends he'd watched from afar – maybe everyone was in pain.

He brushed the bits of grass and bark that clung to his pants as he left his training ground and decided to try and find Iruka.

He was surprised to spot Sakura perched on the bridge's railing, swinging her feet back and forth over the stream as she gazed into the cloudless, blue expanse of sky. Naruto felt a lump rise in his throat at the sight of her, and mentally debated whether or not he should approach her. She looked strangely at peace, something he didn't often identify in the energetic girl. In the end though, nothing was gained if you didn't even bother to try.

"Sakura-chan," he called out, keeping a good ten feet of distance between the two of them. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. "How're you doing?"

Slowly, the girl turned around, dread written clearly all over her face. "N-Naruto…"

Her paper-white skin made the raised, livid scar on her cheek stand out like a splash of blood. She raised her hand – as though she wanted to cover it up – but instead it clenched into a fist.

Naruto stared at Sakura's shoulder, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I wanted to say sorry for … hurting you. I promise it will never happen again! I never, ever wanted to hurt you –"

Sakura cringed, and turned towards the ground as she mumbled something that Naruto couldn't quite make out. He stepped closer to her so he could hear her better. "What was that, Sakura-chan?"

"Then please stay away. It hurts to see you, Naruto," Sakura repeated, a harsh note mixed into her shaking voice. "Just … don't come near me anymore."

Her whole body was shaking. It took Naruto a moment to realize what the look her eyes held really was: fear. She was scared of him. Unbidden, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he willed himself to keep them from falling. He didn't want Sakura to see him so weak and pathetic. He turned so he was no longer facing her, and stretched his arms up so they crossed behind his neck. His mouth twisted into a painful smile.

"Whatever you ask, Sakura-chan." Naruto promised quietly, trying to keep his voice steady as he forced himself to walk away from her.

He could hear Sakura slide off of the railing back onto the bridge. He imagined her calling out to him, saying it was just a test, a joke – anything. Instead: "Thank you."

Sakura's windblown words caused Naruto's smile to falter briefly before stretching back, bigger and more painful than before.

* * *

Iruka awoke to frantic pounding on his bedroom window. Even though he was a teacher before all else, he instinctively suspected the worst. ANBU were notorious for conveying news that a relative was killed in action in such a manner. In any case, it was more likely than a beautiful woman seeking an invitation into his bed, no matter what the Icha Icha series seemed to imply.

He slowly drew his curtains aside, prepared for the worst. A young girl with long, blonde pigtails stared back at him from the other side of the pane of glass. After a moment of red-faced gawking, Iruka managed to shake the sleep from his head and recognize the transformation as Naruto's. Immediately he slid the window open to let him student in. Even if it was in such a peculiar form, time and manner, Iruka couldn't help but feel warmth that Naruto had come to him for the first time. Maybe the progress that Yamato had spoke of was finally emerging, and Naruto would let his mental wounds heal. And – at least this time – the boy's Sexy no Jutsu was fully clothed.

Naruto released the transformation once Iruka pulled his curtains back into place. "Thanks," his student said between heaved breaths that made it sound as though he had been running around all night. His cheeks were fever-bright, and redness was tinged around his eyes and nose. Despite a strained vivacity that seemed to be thrumming off of Naruto, there was something like reproach in his eyes.

"There's something I need to tell you, sensei" Naruto said quietly. "Um."

Iruka set a hand on the boy's shoulder, unsurprised to find it abnormally hot to the touch. Naruto was almost vibrating in his skin. "Alright," he nodded. "Let's go into the kitchen – I'll warm up some tea to have while we talk."

Naruto shook his head, and it was then that Iruka saw that he was acting ... not scared ... but _guilty_. "I don't have time for all of that. I just ... I wanted you to know. You're the only one who cares ... at least I think you do –"

"Of course I do!" Iruka snapped, pulling the boy tightly against his chest. "Never, ever doubt that! No matter what you've done, I will do everything I can to help you overcome it. Because I _want _to, Naruto."

Naruto, as always, stiffened like he wanted to fight against those words and arms that he couldn't let himself believe. Iruka didn't tighten his embrace, but instead let it remain steady.

"Sensei," Naruto mumbled against Iruka's chest. "I'm sorry … but _I've already left_."

Iruka felt his body jerk in shock and pushed the boy back enough to look into his eyes. "Wait – what?"

The Naruto in Iruka's grip burst into smoke.

* * *

**A/N: **Blah chapter is blah, but at least I decided to just publish it instead of moping about how it didn't turn out like I imagined. This always happens to me when I write. Hopefully the next one will flow a bit better. Thanks for all reviews thus far, by the way. They kept me from wanting to abandon this in frustration.


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